Earthenware pipe making machine



y 22, 1951 W. A. CLARK EI'AL 2,554,H

EARTHENWARE PIPE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 6, 1949 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS:

Filed June a, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3a 3 3b /5 O l 9a 0 lf w /5 o i o I All /0 o F/Qfi /3c Ma y 22, 1951 W. A. CLARK ETAL 2,554,011

EARTHENWARE PIPE MAKING MACHINE INVENTORS Patented May 22, 1951 Arsr oFF -cE EARTHENWARE PIPE MAKING MACHINE Application June 6, 1949, Serial No. 97,444 In New Zealand August 11, 1948 Claims. Y 1

This invention relates to earthenware pipe making machines used for making drain pipes and the like, the objects of the present invention being the provision of improvements in such pipe making machines which will enable inspection boxes to be formed integrally with the pipes, as being extruded from the, machine along with the plain pipe portions. 7

The known machines extrude the soft clay through dies in a straight line so that the soft clay on leaving the dies is straight and if it is desired'that these straight pipes be also provided with inspection boxes, the inspection box is manually formed and stuck on to the soft clay pipe, a hole being cut out of the soft clay pipe to coincide with the inspection box forming a protuberance on the pipe.

The machine can produce large numbers of the plain pipes over a given time, but the application of the inspection boxes involves appreciable skilled labour and results in the lowering of the output in respect of the inspection pipes.

Our invention has been devised to enable the machine to extrude the inspection box along with the pipe, complete with the exception of the cutting of the hole through to the pipe bore, this however requiring only a small percentage of the labour at present involved and not requiring such skilled labour.

Broadly the invention comprises improvements in earthenware pipe making machines wherein for the forming of inspection boxes on the pipes the outer die means of the die bell are such as to present in turn a round orifice and a substantially D shaped orifice through which the soft clay is extruded, reflector plate means within the die bell being adapted to be in neutral position while the round orifice is presented and said deflector plate means moved to efiect restraining of the flow of clay at one side of the die bell when the substantially D shaped orifice is presented, such restrained flow being at the side of the pipe at which the inspection box is located, means being provided to enable changes of the orifice shape and movements of the deflector plate means to be effected simultaneously.

In describing the invention, reference will be 'made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a partially sectioned elevation of the apparatus in the position for extruding plain pipe of round cross section and showing the first step of operation wherein the pipe flange is formed,

Figure 2 is a similar viewto that of Figure 1 but 2 1 with the apparatus in position for extruding the inspection box portion on the pipe,

Figure 3 is a plan view to show the cross section of pipe as produced by the apparatus in position as in Fig. 1,

Figure 4. is a plan view to show the cross section of pipe as produced by the apparatus in position as in Fig. 2,

Figure 5 is an underneath View of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 but with the inner flanging die removed and the outer fianging die partly broken away to enable the section of pipe being produced to be seen,

Figure 6 is an underneath view of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 2 and Figure 7 is a sectional view of the slidable die section and its guide bars.

In the invention, the present apparatus in-' volves the use of the deflector plate means as described in our U. S. A. Patent Application Serial No. 769,906 dated August 21, 1947, now Patent No. 2,502,247, such apparatus comprising a die bell or casing I connected vertically below the clay forcing or pressure apparatus (not shown) which forces the soft clay through the die bell I past a fixed centre die 2 towards an outer die 3 through which the clay pipe is extruded, such centre die 2 being carried by a stem 6 around which a deflector plate 5 is movable by being carried on the ends of arms 6 which extend from a spindle 1 an end portion of which extends to the outside of the die bell l to which a lever 8 is secured.

The known apparatus also includes an outer flanging die 9 formed in two halves 9a and 9b, which are hinged to a setscrew or the like [0, the

' inner fianging die H being carried by the table I2 which can be raised and lowered at will.

For the purpose of the present invention, the

present outer die 3 at the bottom of the die bell i is modified in shape, in that instead of having a circular hole therein of size agreeing with the outside diameter of the pipe to be produced, such hole 3a is now of substantially D shape agreeing with the cross section of the pipe 13 at the point at which the inspection box ISa is provided, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

Below this outer die 3 and directly below that side of same which is of inspection box contour, there is a horizontal slidable die section l4 which has a semi-circular die hole or recess I la therein which is of a diameter equal to the outside diameter 131) of the pipe [3 to be produced.

This slidable die section I4 when in inward position as shown in Figs. 1 and, 5 covers that portion of the D shaped hole 3a through which the inspection box I 3a is to be extruded and with the slidable die section l4 in such inward position, the semicircular die hole Ma therein joining the remaining uncovered semicircular portion of the hole 3a in the outer die 3 so as to present a circular orifice for extruding plain pipe of an outside diameter l3b of the circular cross section of pipe It as shown in Fig. 3. The outer die 3 has a thick and a thin end 319 and 30 respectively, with the slidable die section M slidable on the thin end 30 and along with the latter making up a thickness equalto that of the thick end 3b, the inspection box portion of the D shaped hole 3a being formed in the thin end 30 and this latter extending to the lateral centre line 3d of the outer die 3.

With the slidable die section It in withdrawn position as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the D shaped hole 3a is completely uncovered so that the shape of pipe l3 extruded as shown in Fig. 4 includes the inspection box l3a.

The bottom surfaces of theslidable die section l4 andthe thick end 3?) of the outer die 3 are provided in the known manner for engagement of the halves 9a and 9b of the flanging die 9 therewith, such fianging die 9 forming the flanged end l3c of the pipe H3 in known manner.

The slidable die section l4 bearing against the under surface of the thin end 30 of the outer die 3; is suitably guided for horizontal movements by guide bars [5 and l5a which are secured to the thin end 30, and has a lug Mb by which it is connected by links Hi to a control lever ll of substantially bellcrank form, which is pivotally mounted n'ear'the juncture of its two longer arms Ila and Nb to a support l8 secured to and extending from the thin end 30 of the outer die 3, the horizontal arm Ila being connected to the links I6 while the downwardly extending vertical arm llb acts as a handlever. A short arm We is also provided extending horizontally and this is connected by verticallinks I!) to the lever B which controls movements of the deflector plate 5.

The connections of the foregoing parts are such that movements of the handlever ill) of the bellcrank I! simultaneously'effects movements of the slidable die section l4 and the deflector plate 5, the latter being in central position when the slidable die section [4 is in inward position to cause the machine to extrude plain pipes as shown in Figs; 1 and 5'.

In use or operation, in the production of a straight pipe with an inspection box integral therewith; the slidable die section M' is in the inward position as shown in Fig. l at the start, the flange l3c of thepipe [3 being formed in the usual known manner by the fianging die 9', which is then withdrawn or hinged outwardly on the setscrew l and a short plain portion of pipe is extruded.

The handlever llb is then pulled to the right, Figs. 1 and 2, to cause the slidable die section M to be withdrawn while at the same time the deflector plate moves towards that side of the die bell l which coincides with the inspection box at the thin end 30 of the outer die 3 which is the ofi-center position of the plate.

With the pipe now being extruded from the die bell I as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, it takes the D shape of the hole 321 in the outer die 3, the deflector plate 5 having been moved to the side of the die'bell l causing the soft clay at such side to be restrainedin its flow so that the pipe extruded continues to be' straight in spite of the inspection box l3a forming a protuberance on a side of the same.

It is to be understood that soft clay will flow at greater speed through a large orifice than it will through a small orifice and thus the outer die hole 3a presents such larger. orificeat the inspection box side thereof and therefore, but for the provision of the deflector plate 5 operating in conjunction with the movements of the slidable die section 14, the pipe extruded would be curved.

Accordingly, it willbe seen that the movement of the deflector plate is such that it will present an obstruction to the flow of clay towards the inspection box contoured portion of the hole 3a of the outer die 3, this obstruction being nicely adjusted so that across the complete section of the pipe at the protuberance, there is an even rate of flow agreeing with that at the plain pipe portion.

The length of pipe including the inspection box l3a having been extruded, the handlever Ilb is moved to the left, Fig. 2, to return the deflector plate 5 to middle or neutral position and to move the movable die section l4 to inward position, the.

pipe extruded being then the plain round section extending to the spigot end of the pipe, such pipe being then cut off in the known manner while still supported by the inner flanging die H and the table l2; the latter moving: downward as the pipe is being formed, in known manner.

The pipe produced includes the inspection box 13a in contour, but there is a solid mass of clay along the length of the inspection boxportion of the pipe.

A hole is therefore manually cut out of the clay so that the pipe presents the required opening through the inspection box [311 into the pipe interior or bore.

It will be obvious thatwith the inspection box l3a formed integrally with the pipe l3 instead of' being made separately and then stuck on to the pipe l3, it will withstand the subsequent kiln firing much better because of having like expansion and contraction throughout because of being made of the same mixing of clay with same water content, it having been found inactual practice that the number of'defective pipes is greatly reduced and considerable improvement in the speed of production is obtained.

It will also be obvious that the apparatus can also produce the inspection boxes on curved pipes.

We claim:

1. An earthware pipe making machine for forming inspection boxes on the pipes, comprising a die bell, an outer die secured. on the die bell and having a slidable diev section to present in one position a round orifice to. the. outer die and in another position a. substantially D shaped orifice, through which. the soft clay is extruded, a deflector plate adjustably mountediwithin the die bell being adapted to be in a central'position" while the round orifice ofthe outerdie is presented to the clay, and means'connectedto the deflector plate and the slidable die section to adjust the defiector'plate to an Ofi-center position relative 'to the die bell to effect'restraining'of. the flow of clay at one side of the die bell when the substantially' D shaped orifice is presented to the clay so that the restrained flow of the clay is at the side of the pipe at which the. inspection boxv portion is being formed, said means enabling changes of the orifice shape and movements of the deflector plate to be effected simultaneously.

2. An earthenware pipe making machine; ac-

cording to claim 1, in which the means includes a hand lever and links connecting the hand lever with the slidable die section and the deflector plate for effecting the simultaneous movement of the die section plate.

3. An earthenware pipe making machine according to claim 1, in which the means includes a hand lever and links connecting the hand lever with the slidable die section and the deflector plate for effecting the simultaneous movement of the die section plate, and in which guide bars are provided on the outer die by means of which the slidable die section is movable relative to the outer die.

4. An earthenware pipe making machine according to claim 1, in which the means for enabling movements of the deflector plate and the slidable die section to be effected simultaneously comprises a support extending from the die bell,

a bellcrank lever pivotally mounted to the support, a plurality of links, a horizontal arm of the bellcrank lever connecting the one of the links to the slidable die section, a downwardly extending arm of the bellcrank lever acting as a hand lever and a short arm of said bellcrank lever with links connecting it to the other link to the deflector plate.

5. An earthenware pipe making machine for forming inspection boxes on the pipes comprising a casing having a fixed central die member, an

outer die member secured on the casing and composed of a movable part and a stationary part, a deflector plate adjustably mounted in the casing and adjacent the fixed central die and being adjustable to a central and an oil-center position relative to the casing and fixed die, and means connected to the deflector plate and the movable part of the outer die to adjust the deflector plate and movable part simultaneously so that in one position the deflector plate will be in the central position and the movable part of the outer die in the position to produce a uniform pip and in the other position the deflector plate will be off-center and the movable part of the outer die will be out of reach of the pipe which is formed to thus form the inspection box on the pipe.

WILLIAM ALFRED CLARK. RAYMOND GEORGE CLARK.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number i Name Date 411,023 Fish Sept. 17, 1889 763,048 Davis June 21, 1904 1,651,205 I-Iibbins Nov. 29, 1927 2,074,063 Putterlik Mar. 16 1937 

